1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of collapsible, folding tables. More specifically, the invention relates to collapsible, folding massage tables with folding leg assemblies and stabilizing features that increase load capacity of the massage tables.
2. Description of Related Art
Collapsible tables with foldable leg braces are generally known and practiced in the art. These collapsible folding tables have some distinct advantages over conventional tables because they can be transported to various locations more easily and can be stored in small spaces. Such portability and small size is very important to various professional trades such as massage services where massage practitioners who visit numerous clients at various locations need specialized massage tables to provide their services. The collapsible folding massage table is often transported in the massage practitioner's vehicle from one location to another and carried and set up by the massage practitioner at the client's location. Therefore, such collapsible folding massage table must be portable, small, light weight and easy to set up and collapse.
One of the disadvantages of such collapsible, folding table is that it is not as strong or structurally stable as a conventional table. The joints and hinges used to allow the table to be collapsible and foldable also decrease the structural rigidity of the table and diminish the table's strength and stability. This weakness and instability is especially problematic for a massage table because clients lay on the table surface when the massage practitioner provides his or her services. Thus, if the table collapses or if the table is unstable, the client will fall off the table and will likely to be injured. Consequently, the collapsible table must also have high strength, rigidity and stability so that it will not collapse during use.
In addition, to facilitate their use, massage tables having mechanisms that automatically erect the legs of the table as the table is unfolded has been also created. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,998 to Everett et al. discloses a collapsible massage table with two table top sections that are hingedly connected and two pairs of legs hingedly connected to the table top sections. Each leg is supported by a foldable leg brace having two brace members hingably connected together, an end of the first brace member being attached to the leg and an end of the second brace member being attached to a table top section. The table disclosed also includes cable leg which extends downwardly from a table top section and a pair of cables interconnecting the upper corners of the table top section via the cable leg. However, because the foldable leg braces and their components are typically made of a heavy rigid material, it has been found that Everett's tables are relatively heavy thereby diminishing their portability. In addition, it has been found that Everett's tables are relatively expensive because of the amount of materials used in the numerous foldable leg braces and because of the associated costs of assembling these leg braces and attaching them to the massage table. Furthermore, while providing adequate support for light loads, this table design has been found to be inadequate for supporting very heavy loads unless the brace members are made even more robust which has the disadvantage of further increasing costs and weight.
Moreover, it has been found that the foldable leg braces, the pair of cables as well as the cable leg provided in the Everett table all limit access underneath the massage table when the massage table is unfolded. In particular, because these components extend substantially up to the peripheral edges of the table top sections, massage practitioners cannot use the space underneath the table top sections when such use is desirable. For instance, in certain circumstances, it may be desirable for the massage practitioner to place his/her leg, thigh and/or foot underneath the table in order to attain a stance which will allow exertion of additional force for proper massaging of the client laying on the table surface. In another instance, the massage practitioner may want to sit down on a chair or a small stool with his/her knees underneath the table so that a light massage may be given without tiring the legs massage practitioner. Because the foldable leg braces, the pair of cables as well as the cable leg all limit access underneath the massage table, the massage practitioner cannot attain such positions and cannot properly massage the client when such prior art tables are used. Thus, the above noted disadvantages of this and other conventionally designed massage tables diminish their appeal and utility.
An alternative massage table design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,676 to O'Brien where sliding cables are used to erect the table legs when the massage table is unfolded and also to support the table legs under load. The table disclosed includes a v-shaped truss which support the sliding cables and improve accessibility to the space underneath the midportion of the massage table in the region where the two table top sections are hinged. However, the table still includes a set of first cables that extend from a midportion of the legs to the tip of the truss that substantially impede accessibility to the space underneath the massage table in other regions of the table such as underneath each of the two table top sections themselves. Moreover, it has been found that the numerous sliding cables in the table in accordance with O'Brien stretch under load thereby causing the table to be unstable. This stretching of cables has been found to be even more pronounced under high loads thereby rendering O'Brien's table inadequate for supporting large loads such as the weight of a person. Thus, similar to the other prior art massage tables, the limitations in stability and load carrying capacity as well as limited accessibility to the space underneath the massage table diminishes the O'Brien table's appeal and utility.
Therefore, there is a substantial and unfulfilled need for an improved collapsible, folding massage table which is easy to set up and collapse. There is also an unfulfilled need for such an improved collapsible folding massage table with reduced weight and reduced cost. In addition, there is an unfulfilled need for an improved collapsible folding massage table which is rigid and stable, even under heavy loads. Lastly, there is also an unfulfilled need for such an improved collapsible folding massage table which provides improved accessibility to the space underneath the massage table.